The dream of getting inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame will become reality for Phillies announcer Harry Kalas on July 28 when he becomes only the 26th broadcaster to receive the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award.

"I've begun to write my speech. There are so many people to thank. I don't want to leave anybody out," said Kalas, the voice of the Phillies since 1971.

Kalas' wife, three sons, Todd, 34, a television pre-game host for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Brad, 31, and Kane 13, plus Kalas' brother and his family will be in Cooperstown, N.Y., for the ceremonies.

The Phillies' contingent includes Hall of Famers Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt, who will be on the dais, Darren Daulton, Glenn Wilson, who gave one of his sons the middle name "Kalas," Larry Christenson and Tug McGraw.

ESPN's Joe Morgan, who played for the Astros when Kalas was a broadcaster for Houston is also planning to attend, plus the Phillies broadcasting team of Scott Graham, Larry Anderson and Chris Wheeler.

The one void for Kalas will be the absence of Richie Ashburn, his best friend and broadcasting partner of 27 years, who died in 1997.

"I think about 'His Whiteness' every day in and out of the booth," Kalas said.

Kalas thanked the fans who sent cards and letters of congratulations, many of whom will be traveling to Cooperstown for the ceremony.

The Phillies have been honoring Kalas all season long. Guest announcers have joined Kalas on selected Sunday afternoon games; a section of www.phillies.com is dedicated to his greatest calls, and there will be a "Richie and Harry" bobble-head doll giveaway on Aug. 18.

Former St. Louis Cardinals player Ozzie Smith and baseball writer Joe Falls will join Kalas in being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The replacements

Andy Musser is coming out of retirement for three games to substitute for Kalas when he is in Cooperstown. Comcast SportsNet's Joe Kerrigan and John Marzano and Phillies' pre- and post-game show host Tom McCarthy also will call the Phillies-Atlanta series July 26-28. Kalas also will miss the July 25 game vs. the Cubs. Graham, Anderson and Wheels will do that game.

Breakfast at Wimbledon

"Breakfast at Wimbledon" returns to NBC this weekend. The women's final airs tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the men's final Sunday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. John McEnroe and Chris Evert are the analysts. Ted Robinson calls the action. Bud Collins reports.

In a related note, Tatum O'Neal's interview with Barbara Walters in which she accused her ex-husband/tennis champion of taking steroids was a ratings hit for "20/20" on ABC.

ESPY awards

Samuel L. Jackson returns to host the 10th annual ESPY awards Wednesday on ESPN at 9 p.m. from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.

Athletes attending include Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Barry Bonds and Jason Sehorn. Athletes with ties to Philadelphia include Julius Erving, Bernard Hopkins and Eddie George. Celebrities include Tim Allen, Diane Lane, Toni Braxton, Matthew Perry, David Spade and Kiefer Sutherland. E!'s "Live from the Red Carpet" will air at 8 p.m.

If Joan Rivers is manning the red carpet, she can compare plastic surgery notes with Bruce Jenner, who is scheduled to attend.

Laura Nachman covers television and radio sports for the Courier Times. Write her in care of the Courier Times, 8400 Route 13, Levittown, PA 19057, fax 215-949-4177 or e-mail [email protected].

July 05, 2002